


A Sight For Sore Eyes

by Darling_No



Category: Ao no Exorcist | Blue Exorcist
Genre: Boys In Love, Canon-Typical Violence, Demon/Human Relationships, Demons, Dorks in Love, Falling In Love, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Harry Potter References, Hurt Okumura Rin, Inspired by Music, M/M, Mutual Pining, Okumura Rin Needs a Hug, Pets, Pining, Slow Burn, Song Lyrics, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-07-18
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:14:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24068683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darling_No/pseuds/Darling_No
Summary: Not long after they graduated highschool, Rin fell out of touch with his friends. He, Konekomeru, and Shima stayed in Tokyo while Bon went back to Kyoto and Izumo went back to Inari. Shura works wherever and Shiemi is now Shemihaza and has no contact with them at all. Bon finally gets moved back to Tokyo Branch and even though it's far away from his family and home, he'll never think of getting to see Rin as a negative thing. Will old sparks reignite or will they keep dancing around each other?
Relationships: Okumura Rin & Okumura Yukio, Okumura Rin/Suguro "Bon" Ryuuji
Comments: 11
Kudos: 72





	1. Back In Black

Suguro gazed up at True Cross Campus Town. It'd been a while since he'd seen his old school. After they'd all graduated highschool, he was sent to Kyoto to run things there. He wasn't the Head Priest, but he did oversee a lot of things in the Kyoto Branch office.

Now, they'd transferred him back to Tokyo Branch at True Cross Academy. He'd heard Rin, Konekomeru, and Shima had remained here. Only two of those people had visited him. Well, only two of those people had been _allowed_ to visit him.

He sighed and pulled out his keyring. As soon as he made it to Mephisto's office, where he was told to report, he was sent into battle five seconds after by the Demon King.

Apparently, the Cram School had an infestation problem that was worse than the mild case of hobgoblins that had been there when he'd been in Cram School.

There were demon bugs and rot low-levels everywhere. Dragoons sported flamethrowers and Arias chanted, dispelling several batches of demons at a time. It was honestly a wreck and the place would definitely need remodeling after it was cleansed, but Suguro didn't think that was so bad.

It was only twenty minutes in and familiar blue flames burst to life all around him. He let their warmth flow over him as the rest of the infestation was cleansed. Blue fire flooded the whole school in an impressive controlled wave before reversing and pulling back to retreat inside of its owner. The Weapon of the Order himself.

Suguro walked up to his long-time friend casually, giving his flamethrower to another Exorcist to take. "There's a familiar face." Rin commented, giving a half-smile. His voice wasn't as clear or as strong as it used to be. It sounded withdrawn, tired even, though Suguro could tell Rin was genuinely glad to see him. "Been a while. It's wierd to be back after all this time, but it's better than Siberia, so I'll take it." Suguro shrugged. He examined his old friend while they talked.

Rin was still short, hadn't grown more than half an inch since he was a first year, while everyone else had gotten taller and in some cases, broader. Suguro had six inches on Rin and was twice his size overall. Compared to Suguro, Rin almost looked dainty. Suguro didn't mind that.

Rin wasn't as lean as he used to be and had gained some muscle over the past few years. He was short and buff and paler than Suguro remembered. His deep-blue eyes didn't have any eyebags under them, but they still looked tired. His features were sharper and more mature now, instead of the boyish features he'd had in highschool. He wasn't smiling like he used to and a neutral frown seemed to be his default expression.

His hair had grown longer. Instead of short, unruly curls, Rin's hair was longer and most of it was tied up and out of the way. The longest locks of Rin's bangs reached his shoulders while the shorter bangs were nearly in his eyes. The inky black hair was straighter and only curled slightly at the ends now. Suguro would never admit it, but he liked how messy Rin's hair used to be.

Rin wasn't the same. This was a different person than the one he'd graduated with back when they were teenagers. At twenty-three, Rin looked worn down and tired. He looked like he hadn't smiled or laughed in years. He probably hadn't. This Rin was an adult that knew the consequences of living a life as the Son of Satan. This was the Rin that had stopped fighting for his freedom years ago.

"Come get lunch with me." Suguro said. It wasn't a question. Rin didn't turn him down. He just followed his old friend through a few doors via magic keys before they walked all the way to Ponchan.

"Haven't been here in a while. Koneko's been on a mission in Shangri-La." Rin murmured as they walked in. The owner greeted Suguro with much enthusiasm. "Oh, you've grown up so much! Where have you been all this time, young man?" He greeted cheerfully. Suguro grinned. "Went back home to Kyoto for my job. Just got relocated here." He answered. "Business is still going well, I take it?" He looked around. The place was cleaned and had newer booths. Not the old cracked ones Suguro had sat at to study and eat at with Rin, Shima, and Konekomeru back in the day. "Oh yes! That one is here often." The owner leaned closer to Suguro. "I'd keep an eye on him. He's looked like that for a while now. Watched it happen. It was sad to see as he grew up, you know." He muttered to the younger man. Suguro nodded.

"So you and Konekomeru still hang out?" Suguro asked Rin after they ordered their food. "It's not really hanging out. More like going over work-related things. Plans, analysis, paperwork, that sorta shit that everybody hates." Rin listed off. Suguro hummed. "How about Shima?" He wondered.

Rin winced. "Haven't seen him in months." He admitted. "What, did that idiot finally get himself stuck in a situation he couldn't slip out of?" Suguro snorted. "No. Backstabbed me one too many times. Almost very time I went on a mission with him that involved the Illuminati, he'd tell them my position or part of the plan. Got sick of his shit, so I pulled him aside and told him that if I had to see him again on a mission involving his other people, I'd burn his face off." Rin explained. "Huh. That makes sense. He was unusually quiet last time I asked about you when I saw him." Suguro recalled.

"You asked about me?" Rin's voice was quieter. He looked almost surprised. Suguro frowned. "Of course I did! Why wouldn't I? We're still friends, moron."

Rin shook his head. "I don't know. Except for Konekomeru, no one's really talked to me in a while unless they're giving orders. These days, they all just kinda talk in front of me and expect me to be listening when we go over plans or other important matters." He shrugged one shoulder. "They told us in Cram School that Exorcists work in teams. That's some bullshit teamwork right there." Suguro pointed out.

"Suguro, do you remember _who_ told us that?" Rin raised an eyebrow. It took a second, but he understood quickly and snorted. "Mm, that's right. I kinda forgot First Year happened, to be honest." He sighed. Yukio had gone AWOL and ran away from both the Order and the Illuminati for only a year and a half before Rin hunted him down and threw him in a Mental Asylum. Yukio was doing a lot better now, but society still wasn't a safe place for him to be. He was content to sit in his padded room and comfy clothes with his books and card games.

"He's actually the only person besides Koneko that talks to me. He's doing a lot better now. Pretty sure he's been flirting with one of the caretakers. That baby pink uniform is not gonna make that woman any less threatening." Rin shook his head. He unlocked his phone and showed Suguro a picture he'd taken.

It was obviously taken in the Asylum, if the white padded walls of Yukio's cell were any indication. Yukio himself was sitting criss cross, with a hand of cards held up. He'd also grown, but not much more after First Year. Yukio only gained an inch and a half and his shoulders were slightly broader now. His hair was messier, but still mostly kept neat. He was actually smiling in a not creepy or fake way.

A woman wearing a baby pink uniform sat across from him. She was pretty, with fair skin, freckles all over her face and arms, and short brown hair. It was cut in a messy boycut style and sort of reminded him of Rin's old style. She was grinning like she knew something Yukio didn't–which was highly possible since they were playing Uno and she had a +4 in her deck. The smile showed in her ice-blue eyes as well. Overall, it was a surprisingly wholesome picture.

"Still a charmer, eh?" Suguro snickered. Rin snickered with him. "Guess so. Her personality compliments his very nicely. Last time I was there I asked when the wedding was. While Yukio was flipping out, _she_ answered next Spring." Rin smirked. Suguro laughed. "Yeah, she's a keeper."

"I heard you've been whipping Kyoto into shape since you got there. How did that go?" Rin wondered. "Well, there's still no head priest and my dad won't take the position back, so Uwabami and Yaozo have been co-leadering for a while." Suguro explained. Rin gave a half-smile. "That's not a word."

"I'm a genius, if I say it, it's a word." Suguro argued. Rin gave a quiet laugh and before Suguro could comment on it, their food was given to them. They ate and enjoyed the quiet as they ate. Rin stole a bite of his food and thus he stole a bite or two of Rin's.

"Hey, I only had one bite of yours!" Rin cried. "I'm bigger than you, I get more food." Suguro there back. "Suguro, I eat enough for a family of three and I only took one bite of yours!" Rin told him. "That's your fault." The bigger man shrugged and continued eating. Next thing he knew, Rin grabbed the hand that had the chopsticks and his next bite in it and stole another bite.

They traded bites for the rest of the meal and the owner was so happy to see Suguro back and so happy that Rin actually looked like he was having a good time that he gave them free dessert.

Over dessert, they talked about living arrangements. "So where are you staying? Do you already have a place set up here?" Rin asked curiously. "No, actually. They told me to just stay in a hotel until I found an apartment to stay in. As if my salary allows that." He snorted at the thought. Rin shook his head. "Yeah well, our jobs are forever gonna con us out of our money. It way I can afford enough food to eat for myself is Mephisto. He's still an asshole and I still hate him, but I'm pretty sure that's why he decided to pay for both my living arrangements and my food." Rin admitted.

"Living arrangements?" Suguro repeated interestedly. "My place is actually pretty nice. They had me in that stupid dorm, then in a dingy apartment that was practically falling apart at the seams, and then I complained. I gave em a piece of my mind and Mephisto volunteered to pay for my place to keep things from getting out of hand. Like a good little bitch." Rin smirked smugly. Suguro had forgotten that in their Third Year of high school, Rin got sick of Mephisto's bullshit and conquered him, making the clown his bitch. He was Rin's utility when anything cost a large sum of money.

"So you gonna stay in a hotel tonight?" Rin inquired. "It's annoying, but I'm gonna have to." The taller man sighed. "You could stay at my place tonight? I have room." Rin offered. Suguro looked up at him in surprise. Rin didn't look like he regretted offering and Suguro would take any chance to be around him more since he was a sucker for this guy, so he said yes.


	2. Cherrywood

Staying at Rin's place was nice. It was a penthouse near Mephisto's Manor, which was surprising. The apartments below it were full of Exorcists who preferred to live close to the job site, though Rin told him that several had moved out when he moved in.

"Sweet. Maybe I could find one here." _Close to you_ was the unspoken rest of that sentence. Rin was in front of him, but Suguro caught a glimpse of his smile before he pulled out his keys and unlocked the door.

The space was impressive. It was large and open. Usually penthouses were very modern and minimalist, but this one was cozy. Warm colors that reminded Bon of his parents Ryokan filled the space. Kuro was curled up on a big pillow that had and orange and yellow pattern on it. He opened his eyes and sniffed the air when Suguro came in.

The cat stood up on his pillow and Suguro smiled at him. The cat eyes him suspiciously. "C'mon, it's me, Kuro." He said exasperatedly. Without warning, Rin took his hand, gentler than he'd expect given the callouses on the Knight's hands, and held it to the cat so he could sniff it. Suguro raised an eyebrow, trying to ignore the warmth coming from Rin's hands.

Kuro finally meowed and Rin nodded. "Uh huh. He's the one you liked besides the guy who always has toys for you ton play with." Rin agreed.

"Well, this is my home. Hope you like it." Rin spread his arms. The living room was a large open space that also held the kitchen and several floor to ceiling windows displaying a view of the Tokyo skyline. There were stairs that lead up, presumably to a master bedroom and bathroom and possibly a closet and laundry room.

The furniture including cabinets and the island in the middle of the kitchen all had a warm color scheme. The wood of the floors and cabinets were all cherrywood. The countertops were granite. All the kitchen appliances were stainless steel.

The furniture in the living room consisted of a mantle with a flat screen tv hung on it, an L shaped couch, a loveseat, a chair, and a coffee table. The furniture itself was all dark browns while the pillows and blankets we're all in various shades of red, orange, yellow, and tan. There was the occasional blue here and there.

It was a very nice place, indeed. Suguro also noticed that there were several cages along the floor at the edge of the living room. He cocked his head and went to examine them. One held a tri-colored guinea pig that had an interesting hairstyle on his head. The next one held three little mice–one the color of a cinnamon sugar donut, one black, and one white with red eyes. The third held a fluffy little hamster that was an off-white color. Suguro snickered at the thought that all the animals' fur colors matched Rin's decor.

"Kuro hasn't eaten them, huh?" He mused. Rin snorted. "He tried, but my will was stronger." He answered gravely. Suguro chuckled. "The guinea pig is Dexter. The white mouse is Sugar, the brown one is Spice, the black one is Ben. The hamster is Margo. His brother is sleeping under the wheel. His name is Sasha. And I have a snake in my room named Cucumber. He's a boa constrictor that I adopted during a mission. He actually just kinda goes wherever, but my room is where his treats are." Rin explained.

"Great, so the moral of the story is: Never let Rin name a kid." Suguro nodded seriously. That startled a laugh out of the man in question. "They're animals, I don't need to name them regular human names!" He cackled. Suguro smiled and felt warmth spread throughout his chest and bloom in his cheeks. Making Rin laugh used to be one of his favorite things to do.

"Well, at least you didn't name the snake Nagini." Suguro sighed. Rin laughed harder, hunching over his couch. "I.....should've known you've..... read Harry Potter, hahaha!" He wheezed.

Suguro shouldn't feel this proud of himself for getting Rin to laugh like that, but give him a break! Rin hadn't even smiled _once_ since he'd first seen him hours ago!

"Alright Seinfeld, let's get you a place to sleep." Rin finally caught his breath and straightened up. He was still smiling and Suguro could swear he was glowing. God, that smile was so familiar, so heart-warming to see. So gratifying to be the cause of. Jeez, Suguro felt like a teenager again.

Rin led him upstairs to a closet, grabbed a pillow, and led Sugur into the guest room next to his own room. He put a pillowcase on the second pillow and turned to smile at Suguro. You can sleep in here. I'm right next door if you need me. If you wanna watch TV or get something to eat during the night, you can, just be quiet. The mice will keep you company, they're nocturnal." Rin told him.

Suguro smiled. Rin was so different from who he'd been when they'd first met. But nothing would ever change his caring nature. It was a part of him that would never go away, no matter how sad and mistreated Rin was. Show him that you care and he'll do the best he can to give you the world. Suguro had always loved that about Rin, too.

"Thanks, Rin." He pulled the shorter man into a hug. Rin only remained surprised for a second before gratefully hugging him back. "No, thank you, Suguro. You have no idea how great it is to have company." Rin buried his face in the bigger man's coat, holding onto him tighter. God, Rin felt tiny in his arms. The guy only came to just under his chin, too. Holding Rin would almost be comical if Suguro hadn't missed it so much. Rin was a touchy person. He'd hung all over his friends back in highschool. It kind of just got to the point where Suguro had an arm around him at all times. Rin would always be much smaller than Suguro. He'd need stilettos to even get anywhere near his height. Suguro's shirts would probably go to mid-thigh on Rin and wow, not going any further than that on that particular train of thought....

They said goodnight to each other and Rin left to take a shower before bed. Suguro denied the real reason for why he was looking for an extra blanket in the hall when Rin came out of the bathroom.

And _hot damn,_ he didn't regret it when he caught a glimpse of Rin in just a towel. It sat low on his hips, displaying the V lines that made Suguro shiver. Water still clung to his skin, dripping down his defined pecs and abs. His hair laid on his shoulders like a dark, smoothe curtain. Suguro at least has the decency to slip back into his room before Rin dropped his towel to get in his nightclothes.

§~•~§~•~§

Suguro woke up around two in the morning to hissing in his ear. He bolted up and almost brained himself on the corner of the bedside table when he saw the snake. When he realized it was probably just Cucumber, he relaxed. Anything Rin trusted, he trusted.

The snake looked at him expectantly and then flicked it's tongue at the door. Suguro raised an eyebrow. "Rin?" He guessed, because why else would the snake wake him up. It wiggled, the equivalent of nodding for the snake. He slid out of bed and debated putting his shirt on before shrugging and making his way downstairs.

Rin was slumped on his couch, looking at the Tokyo Skyline, nursing a mug of hot chocolate. He was in his exorcist uniform, though the cost was open to reveal the Navy blue tank top underneath. He looked like he was about to fall asleep. Suguro approached him carefully. Rin was used to living alone and right now, as tired as he was, he might have forgotten he had a guest.

"Rin." He called quietly. The man blinked in surprise, tensing up. "Oh, it's you. Sorry, did I wake you up?" Rin asked, turning to look at him. He had a bruise forming in his jaw that didn't look like it was from a demon, along with a couple small scratches on his chin and neck.

"There was an issue in someone's house. They were renovating and found some critters in their walls that definitely weren't just rodents." Rin explained. Suguro sat down next to him and took the mug away to set it on the coffee table before gently pushing Rin's face to the side. He examined the bruise with a deep frown. "You don't have to explain anything to me, I'm an Exorcist too, Rin. I wanna know about the injuries you get from humans." He said, not missing Rin's flinch.

"Was it one of your teammates?" He asked. Rin shook his head. "Leader of the mission?" Another shake. Suguro narrowed his eyes. "Angel?" Silence.

Bingo.

Suguro shouldn't be surprised, but one would think that the abuse and mistreatment would die down after the first few years. It's been seven years since Rin passed the Exorcist Qualification Exam and became the Weapon of the Order and that tool of a Paladin still treated him like all he was, was an object with no feelings, no life, no soul. Suguro hated more than he'd hated anything in this world. It was almost scary to be this angry at someone else's expense rather than his own.

But with Rin, it wasn't even a question. Rin deserved everything. Rin deserved to live a normal life like everyone around him. He deserved to be happy, and to get a good amount of sleep, and to live free and have friends and a family. Rin was the only person that Suguro would probably ever admit those things about. It was unfair how Rin was treated just for being born and choosing to live.

Rin only sighed and let his friend look at the bruise. "It'll heal in a few days. S'fine." He muttered. He obviously didn't like the attention to things that had never mattered to him even when they were wrong.

"I know the Grigori wouldn't care. But you really have no one that would stand up for you? Not even Koneko?" Suguro sighed. "If Konekomeru speaks out in my favor, all that'll happen is him getting demoted. Already happened once. It was only one rank and by now he's gained back their trust and risen back to the top, but I don't ever want that to happen to a friend at my expense. Just let it be. It's not great, but if you leave it alone, it won't get worse either." Rin told him in murmurs. He was obviously tired–both physically and of dealing with this particular issue.

Instead, Suguro hugged Rin to him for the second time that night. It was much different, sitting down and hugging Rin. This way, Rin could be tucked into him and still be able to see his face since they were both sitting.

"I won't say anything to any superiors." Suguro promised. "But," He paused to make sure Rin was listening. "I'll just have to try and be there with you as often as possible. You don't have any motivation to stand up for yourself otherwise." Rin didn't argue with the fact and that was honestly really sad. Suguro didn't know what he expected when he got to see Rin again, but he guessed he hadn't thought it would be this bad even after seven years. Especially after seven years.

Rin didn't ask him to, but Suguro slept next to Rin in his bed just in case he had any more nightmares. Rin had been up before he'd had a mission, if the very messed up sheets were anything to go by. He'd be Rin's guardian, no matter the protests he got from the other man.


	3. Tear Me Down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter names that are the lyrics of songs are cool af, and I'm gonna embrace the cliche.
> 
> https://youtu.be/YAvS3Nbw_E4

"You almost got me killed, Demon!" Angel growled, hoisting Rin up off the ground by his collar. To his credit, Rin didn't back down and growled back, areal growl, pearly white fangs bared. He'd never done that to the Paladin before.

Angel suspected it was because of the man's old classmate who happened to be standing not far from them, watching with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face. Who was he to judge, he was friends with a disgusting piece of trash like the son of Satan! Angel sneered at the man. To his dismay, Suguro only raised an eyebrow, unaffected.

"Hey, you're bitching at _me._ Don't look at him like that." Rin snapped his fingers in Angel's face, drawing his attention once again. The demon was hanging there in his grip almost casually, like this encounter meant nothing to him. He seemed to have purpose to be how he used to when he'd first started out as the Weapon of the Order–fiery, sarcastic, and annoyingly confident. Angel wondered why he didn't see the need to put on a show when no one he cared about was around to see.

"Angel, put the kid down. You'll leave marks and you know how Shemihaza feels about that." Lewin Light was visiting and had accompanied them on this mission. Angel huffed and dropped the demon who, infuriatingly, landed on his feet. He flipped Angel the bird and called a "Fuck off, Light." to Lewin before heading towards Suguro.

"He seemed pretty surprised you actually responded. You seriously didn't fight back before I got here, did you?" Suguro sighed. Rin shrugged one shoulder. "Didn't have a reason. Just sit there and imagine cutting Barbie over there to pieces while he'd give some stupid degrading speech. He acts like I'm an ape–unable to understand human concepts. It's ridiculous." Rin rolled his eyes.

"So you don't care at all about your own pride or reputation when it's just you, but when I'm around, you do? How does that even make sense?" Suguro asked. "If it's just me, there's no point. I'm not worth anything. My title means nothing but the fact that I'm a weapon and let these people use me to fight their hardest battles. It's degrading. _You_ have a reputation. A good one. If you're gonna hang around me, might as well make it look like you're not using me as a charity case." Rin explained easily. Suguro blinked a few times.

"I never even thought of people seeing it like that. I keep forgetting you don't mean as much to them as you do to me." Suguro murmured thoughtfully. Rin smiled, heat rushing to his cheeks. This man was such a sap, but he'd only ever been like that with Rin. He wanted to hug Suguro, but didn't wanna hurt his rep even more with Angel and Lewin watching them.

§~•~§~•~§

Later, Suguro was called in for a mission and when he came back, he hit the cafeteria. He ate alone, which felt lonelier than it used to now that he'd actually ended up staying at Rin's place for a couple weeks until he could fully move into his apartment, which was on the floor just below Rin's penthouse. Rin told him he could stay whenever he wanted, though. Suguro got the feeling he'd be spending a lot of time at Rin's place in the future. Or maybe Rin would spend time in his place a lot.

He finished his lunch and got up to leave. On his way out the cafeteria door, he heard suspicious noises coming from the alley beside the cafeteria. He went to investigate and found Rin surrounded by men that were all taller than him. Hiding behind Rin was a woman. She was taller than him and willowy. Slim, tall, and pretty. He understood what had probably happened there.

He stayed back, knowing Rin didn't like other people fighting his fights. As he watched, one of the guys murmured something in Rin's ear, then leaned back to spit on his cheek.

"Maybe you should just mind your own business, Monster. You already get busted for smaller shit than this. Don't need you losing an arm." The guy got uncomfortably close to Rin and leaned down again so they were nearly nose to nose. "Or an eye."

"Nah, Mino, they'll tighten that collar of his they put on him when he's bad like they did a month ago. So tight, the pretty thing couldn't even talk." The second guy sneered. "There wasn't much of a difference for the time you couldn't speak. You're already like a ghost. No one notices you until they need you. Ain't that why you learned sign language? So you didn't have to talk to people?"

"I learned sign language so my partner and I could make plans on the spot without getting caught. _You_ wouldn't know, since you didn't care that you got her killed and got away with it with a smile on your face, Nao." Rin growled.

So Rin had a partner before? Suguro made a mental note to look into that later.

"She was a bitch. Didn't have a purpose but giving _you_ one. You didn't deserve a partner in the first place. What happened to her was just a happy little accident." Nao grinned, but it was quickly wiped of his face when Rin decked him with an angered yell.

The four men ended up fighting, three against one, and the woman cowered against the wall. Suguro whistled and she finally noticed him. He beckoned her over and she glanced back at the men before running over to him.

"Good! Suguro, make sure she's okay! I'll handle this!" Rin called over to them.

"Oh, you'll handle us, bitch?!" Nao shrieked. "Yeah, I'll handle you, you fuckfaced asshole!" Rin roundhouse kicked him in the back of the head and Nao was down for the count. One of them had a knife and swiped at Rin while the other swung. Rin caught one's fist and grabbed the other's hand holding the knife. He kicked the fist guy in the shin and twisted knife guy's hand to push the knife into his own thigh. Knife guy dropped to the ground where Rin kneed him in the face on the way to the ground and he was out. The first guy was back up, but Rin flipped into a handstand, grabbed the guy with his legs, and rolled on top of him. He was choking the guy out with his thighs.

Suguro's cheeks burned at the thought of being between those thighs, even in a pin. And he ignored the fact that he'd let Rin crush his windpipe happily if he was in that position. God, he was completely gone on this guy. It was embarrassing to be so gone on someone after years of not being interested in anyone, and then he gets to see Rin again and he's still just as interested in the man as he was back in high school.

"Is that your guy?" The woman asked, nodding at Rin. "What?! Oh, uh, no. Best friend. We went to school together." _And became demon killing machines together....._

"Ah. Thank him for saving me, will you? I have a meeting in twenty minutes." She thanked him and left. When Suguro looked back over, Rin had just finished dragging the guys into a pile against the alley wall and was walking over to him.

"Hey! How'd your mission go?" He asked, as if he didn't just take down three guys bigger than him. "It went fine, are you okay?" He checked Rin over for any blood, but found none, thankfully. "Eh, I'm fine. Broken ribs heal fast." He waved it off. "Jesus Christ, Rin." The taller man murmured, flattening a hand against Rin's ribcage to make sure. He pushed down, but Rin only winced a bit. He ignored the shiver from Rin at his touch.

Rin wasn't used to being touched at all unless he was being beat up. This was a different kind of attention and his brain did _not_ know what to do with it. Suguro's hand was A.) Big and splayed across his body and B.) Unexpectedly warm. It made shivers go down his spine and he only hoped Suguro wouldn't notice.

Rin gently grabbed hold of Suguro's wrist and pulled it away from him. Their fingers brushed when he let go and his heart jumped a little. "Let's go back to my place and chill while we have free time, yeah?" Suguro suggested. Rin nodded, fighting the blush that wanted to color his cheeks at the offer.

"We _do_ still have to unpack some stuff. Might as well. It's a lot more relaxing than just sitting there. ADHD doesn't go well with sitting still." Rin added.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd just like to apologize to Bob Ross for using his little piece of wisdom like that, but I needed it to be twisted so you guys would hate the guy I want you to hate. People these days have a thing about falling for villains and I'm making sure that no one falls for this asshat trashman.


	4. Pick Me Up

They unpacked things and put them where they were supposed to go. Suguro explained where he'd gotten the decor. Some were gifts from the people at the Ryokan when they heard he'd be moving back to Tokyo, some were decorations he'd gotten himself. A couple were from Konekomeru and Shima. There was even one from Izumo.

He wanted to bring up the fact that the Grigori put a fucking collar on Rin as a punishment, but Rin seemed content right now. There was a nice calm over them and he didn't want to ruin it, no matter how furious he was over Rin being treated like an animal.

"Ah, my mom wanted me to give you this." Suguro unwrapped a framed picture and handed it to the man. Rin stared at it and blinked a few times. His shoulders fell as he looked down at the photo. The longing look on his face made Suguro's chest hurt and he offered a sympathetic smile.

"She kept this....for me?" He looked up at his friend. Suguro nodded. "She never did get a chance to give it to you in person and she didn't want to mail it. She sent it with me. Mom thought it should be something treated personally and I'd have to agree. Sentimental matters are better when they're personal." He shrugged one shoulder and when he looked back up, Rin was desperately trying to blink back tears.

The picture was one taken of their group with Yukio and Shura after they were about to leave the Ryokan. Torako had insisted they'd want to save the moment and made them stand all together. Even Izumo, Suguro, and Yukio had smiled for the picture. Rin's smile was bright like the sun, like it always used to be.

"Hey," He reached out and brushed a few fallen tears off Rin's cheek. Rin looked up at him, biting the inside of his cheek to stop the tears. "You can cry. There's no shame in missing a time when things were better." He smiled. "C'mere." He said softly, opening his arms. Rin lunged for him and let the tears roll down his cheeks. Deep, shuddering sobs wracked his body. They were silent sobs. How many times had Rin cried like this, _hurt_ like this, silently in his penthouse? With no one to hold him or witness the pain but his pets.

The thought made him hold Rin tighter. Rin was pretty much in his lap sobbing into his chest. "S'okay, s'okay. Cry as much as you need to. You can't be strong all the time." He murmured, which only made Rin cry harder. His tail wrapped around Suguro's waist and held him securely, like Rin was afraid he'd leave.

"M'not going anywhere, Rin." He murmured. "I'm still here."

It took a while before Rin's sobs eased into quiet sniffs and the occasional hiccup. He was still clutching onto Suguro, but that was fine with the older man. Rin was actually cold blooded, so his more-or-less human body could handle extreme heat better–it was a thing with most fire demons that had bodies of their own–but when his emotions got out of hand, his entire body would heat up and become a heat source. The heat from when Rin had first started crying had calmed down to a human's normal body temp.

"Sorry. I just....I forgot how happy I was back then. How accomplished we felt after the Impure King. It was easier for me to train with my flames after Kyoto. Your dad trusted me to save everyone, and you did too, even though I was panicking. All I knew when it was just us on the mountain top was that even if I couldn't pull the sword, I'd keep fighting until I couldn't anymore and hope I at least gave everyone time to run. But you trusted me." Rin's smile was fond as he looked down at the picture and he was still perfect, even with tear tracks down his face and puffy red eyes. At least, Suguro thought so.

"That was also the last time I was able to have a proper conversation with Yukio without him yelling or getting angry." Rin added quietly. It had been a long time since he'd seen his brother look like he actually enjoyed being around Rin. That tired, but still happy smile with his arm around his older brother like they actually got along.

"I have more pictures. The photo albums are in that box." Suguro pointed the box out and Rin was opening it in a second. He grabbed a couple and brought them back over to Suguro. He sat next to the bigger man and leaned up against him comfortably as they went through pictures from their adventures during their absoloutely chaotic first year, then the less hectic Second and Third Years.

"Ugh, that one annoyed me for a while before I grew to love it later." Rin groaned at the one they took at Kyoto Tower where his friends spelled SATAN with their bodies behind him. Suguro laughed loudly. "Assholes." Rin smacked him playfully on the arm.

"It was Kamiki's idea. And Yukio was all too willing to participate." He informed the son of Satan as the man shook his head, laughing too. "Of course it was Kamiki. Evil bitch." He snickered fondly.

"I miss our friends. And Shura. Haven't seen her in a while. She settled down by herself a couple years ago. Dunno where. Damn woman didn't even tell me her address and I know she got a new phone because I can't reach her old number anymore. Only having my mentally unstable twin brother to talk to was getting old." Rin sighed.

"But!" He peeked up. "I have you now, so it's fine!" He declared, a bright smile on his face. Suguro grinned t him, cheeks heating some. "Is it really okay if it's just me?" He wondered. "Of course! Me and you were closer than anyone else in the group! We ways had fun, even if no one else did." Rin told him cheerfully. He was still leaning against Suguro and he looked perfectly comfortable. Suguro snorted and let his head lean on Rin's. "Yeah, you're right."

They sat there for a minute just enjoying the presence of the other before continuing to pack in comfortable silence. Suguro wondered how long it would take him to be unable to look at Rin without imagining kissing him right here, sitting on his livingroom floor, surrounded by half unpacked boxes with the man in his lap. The thought sent a heat filtering through him deep inside and he dashed the thought, continuing to unpack. He'd have to wait until Rin was ready.


	5. Partner

"I really wish I could just have you as my partner instead of having to go solo or getting stuck working with Angel and Lewin all the time." Rin groaned. He was sitting propped up against his front door. His wounds were taking a while to heal completely since there were so many.

"Well Hell, who put _you_ through a paper shredder?" Suguro asked with a grimace at all the blood and torn skin. "Very funny. I didn't wanna get blood on the furniture, so I figured I'd just call you and get you to help me." Rin tried to shrug, but winced at the pain the action caused.

"Alright, don't move. I'll be right back." Suguro left to go back to his apartment. He came back with a bowl of water and a few clean washcloths. "Oh, you don't have to–" Rin tried, but Suguro raised an eyebrow at him and he shut his mouth, knowing there was no changing the man's mind. He soaked the first wash cloth and simply squeezed the warm water over Rin's body. Blood, dirt, and grime slowly came off his body. Then, he started to wipe all the filth away.

"Think you could burn some of this away? And your clothes, since they're ruined." Suguro wondered. "If you wanted my clothes off, you coulda just asked." Rin smirked up at him and Suguro leveled the man with an unimpressed look, despite the heat rising to his cheeks. Rin snickered and nodded, blue flames licking up his body. Bon took his own coat off and covered Rin with it. He was small enough to have most of his body covered by the garment. Bon lifted Rin into his arms and Rin unlocked his door.

Bon went upstairs to the bathroom and set Rin down on the toilet as he turned the water on and got it to a good temperature. "I can take it from here. Sorry to bother you." Rin told him. Suguro shook his head.

"Nope."

Rin raised a brow. "I can take care of myself Suguro. I've done it for years, I'm not suddenly incapable of it." He reiterated. "It's not that I think you're incapable. I just think you should have some help. You've done a lot of things on your own and still have a lot of things you do by yourself. But you don't have to anymore. _I'm_ here now." Suguro explained patiently. Rin frowned.

"Suguro, you have your own things to deal with. I don't want to take up all your time if it gets in the way of anything you need to do." He didn't say he didn't need Suguro or that he didn't want Suguro around. Rin was lonely and Suguro knew Rin loved being around him. But Rin always thought of others before himself and ended up getting the short end of the stick every time.

"Rin, trust me when I say that I would rather be with you than doing anything else. Whether it's helping you clean up after a difficult mission or having you teach me to cook something beyond cup ramen. I....I look forward to getting to see you." He'd finally said it. Now he just had to see if Rin accepted that fact.

"Why? What's to look forward to that's not my food and my nice place?" Rin demanded. "Rin, I knew you before you had this fancy place. And I liked being your friend before I knew you could cook like a god, too. Those things are just bonuses. The thing everyone's missing out on when they don't acknowledge your existence is your personality." Silence greeted that proclamation, so he went on.

"You care. You care with everything you have. You always look after the people you love before you even _think_ about yourself. You don't want to bother anyone with your issues because you think that anything they have to do is more important than you are. And people agree with that and just let you fade into the background like you don't exist. To them, you have no voice and no identify except for the title the Grigori gave you. But that's not how it should be." He looked back at Rin to see him looking completely lost.

He sat there on the toilet, wrapped up in Suguro's Exorcist coat and still dirty from his mission, looking totally and utterly _lost._

Suguro walked over and kneeled in front of him. "Hey." Rin looked down at him, conflicting emotions swirling behind those bright electric-blues. Little flecks of teal and the crimson-red of his pupils stood out against the blue. He'd never noticed the teal before.

"For a long time, no one's been here to care about you. No one's helped you clean up and heal after missions. No one's needed to crash at your place when they had nowhere else to go. No one's been here to tell you that you matter to them. That's a sad life, Rin. A life you don't deserve." Suguro told him.

Rin mumbled something, but Suguro couldn't make out what he'd said. "What was that?"

"Cherrie used to say that too." Rin mumbled again, louder this time. "Your old partner?" Suguro guessed. Rin nodded. "She was paired with me because she didn't take any bullshit. The Order thought that if I was a Fuck-Up, she'd fix it. But instead we got along great. We were always able to have fun. She was my partner for three years until an accident on a mission that wasn't really an accident." Rin kept talking. He rubbed his thumbs on his palms almost anxiously.

Rin picked up a picture frame off the counter that Suguro had noticed but never looked at closely. He handed it to him. Rin stood in a blue shirt and black pants with combat boots under his exorcist coat, a smirk on his face. A woman next to him wore a lilac colored tank crop top, a black skirt, and heeled combat boots under her open exorcist coat. Her eyes were a light blue, her chocolate-brown hair was a neat Bob with blunt bangs, and she wore black rimmed glasses. She grinned smugly at the camera, an arm around Rin. She was much shorter than him.

"Why does she look so familiar?" Suguro muttered curiously. "That's Cherrie LeMonte. Her sister is Cory LeMont, Yukio's girlfriend at the Ward. They were identical twins. Cory had some training to defend herself, but didn't want to be an Exorcist. She became a therapist to help Exorcists with their mental instabilities instead. I think that's a pretty great way to help that doesn't involve violence." Rin explained carefully. "But because of Cherrie's no-bullshit thing, Nao and his buddies couldn't stand her. She could beat them all up and she was allowed to bust them for insubordination. They sabotaged her gear before we all went on a mission together in Nagoya." Rin was getting choked up, but he swallowed the lump in his throat and pushed through.

"Suguro, _her gun blew up in her face._ In the _middle of the battlefield._ She stood _no_ chance. She just stumbled around, screaming, until she got swarmed. Her body couldn't even be reconstructed, so she was cremated. I had to give that urn to her sister and watch her fall to pieces because her other half was murdered and the killers got away with it." Tears freely rolled down his cheeks, but they weren't sad tears. They were angry tears.

"Every time I look at Nao, all I can see is the smug face he had when her gun blew. He looked so fucking proud of himself. One day, he's gonna get what's coming to him–whether it's Karma, or me, it'll happen. People like Nao don't get to grow old and die of natural causes. Nao is the only person I could ever hate. I can't hate him for myself, but I can hate him for Cherrie. She had so much life left to live and she knew how to make it fun even in the worst of times. She loved people like I did. She could've made something up and told the Grigori I was a waste of time and resources, but instead, she rubbed it in their faces that she got to be my partner and succeed on every mission we did together. She loved having fun on missions. She loved saving people. She loved having someone to succeed with. She loved _me._ " Suguro grabbed Rin's hands and held them gently, lightly brushing his thumbs over the palms rubbed raw.

"She deserved everything and got the worst ending of all." Rin finished. He looked so bitter over it, so _angry,_ it hurt Suguro's heart. "You know you're the same way right?" He pointed out quietly. Rin furrowed his brows. "You deserve everything, but all you can do is fade into the background with no voice of your own to tell people that you're worth more than any of them. You two got along so well because you were both like that. Because you both knew how to love without judging." He said softly. "No one wants you to have a voice, but you _will._ Because now I'm here and you don't wanna make me look bad. You don't deserve the hand you were dealt, Rin. Don't just accept it. Turn your cards around and show them the winning hand I know you have." Suguro insisted.

Rin still looked uncertain. "You don't have to do anything alone anymore. I'm here to stay. I promise." He murmured, tucking a loose lock of hair behind the smaller man's pointed ear as he looked into those brilliant demonic eyes. The eyes that looked into his for a sign of a lie. There was none.

"Okay." Rin whispered. Suguro smiled and hugged Rin to him before letting him go and turning back around to turn the water off. "Come on, I'll wash all the shit outta your hair. It's a bird's nest." He grinned at the man and Rin stood, carefully folding the coat before stepping into the water. He sunk down into it and his shoulders dropped, all the tension leaving his body in the hot water.

Suguro spent an hour cleaning all the filth off of Rin's body and out of his hair. Rin ended up nearly falling asleep in the bath and Suguro helped him put on pyjama pants before laying him in bed and making sure he was comfy. Before he could walk out, Rin grabbed his hand. Suguro stopped and turned back to look at him.

"Thank you. I'm glad that you're like Cherrie. People like you guys are what people like me need. I just got lucky to have two of you." He whispered. Suguro felt his heart jump into his throat at the words and he left as fast as he could without making it seem like he was running.

How much longer would he have to wait before Rin realized they could be more than just really good friends? Would Rin be afraid to go further because of his practically non-existent self-worth? Would he think he wasn't worth what Suguro thought he was and try to deny a deeper relationship? That would probably break Suguro's heart, but he cared about Rin so much that he couldn't imagine being bitter or angry at him for pushing him away.

He sighed and ate a piece of the cake Rin had taught him how to make. He hadn't actually paid attention to the recipe–just to Rin, like always.


	6. Overseas Mission

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://youtu.be/SvMy4e76Ksk

Rin was sent on a special mission around a month later. He'd been sent on several smaller missions to help repair broken Magic circles for a while. This time, he was to take out a rogue Ex-Senior Exorcist who'd fled to Brazil. The man knew too much and was trying to sell classified secrets to smaller Order Branches to get them to turn on the bigger Branch Offices and get rid of the current leadership.

Rin sighed as he read the file on the man. He had Tamer, Doctor, and Aria. Nothing that involved close combat. But he was a Senior Exorcist and well respected, so underestimating him would be a mistake.

Unless you were Rin, in which case he could assume this guy would be an easy catch for him. Catching pretty much any exorcist would be doable for him. It was a different case with Satan, who he'd been trying to take down for years. Satan liked to visit him to try and take over his body at least three times a year and every time, Rin would try to keep the Demon God inside his body, to trap him.

Unfortunately, if Rin had any insecurities(he had a _lot_ of insecurities)while he was trying to subdue Satan, the Demon could latch onto them and start exploding his organs. In that instance, Rin would kick him out. He'd never won against Satan, but he'd never really lost either. He was stronger than Shiro, who'd been old and weaker than the first time Satan had tried to possess him during Rin's birth.

Back to the mission he was just given, this shouldn't be too hard. Killing was far from Rin's favorite thing, but while he was still under the Order's control, he had to follow orders. If this man was a decent person meaning well, Rin could spare him and let the man go into hiding. If the Order found out he was still alive, then Rin would take the punishment knowing it was worth it.

But this guy was scum of the earth.

His file held his personal relations, including two ex-wives that both had restraining orders against him and his third ex-wife had won a court battle and taken the kids and the house with her after years of psychological abuse to both her and her children.

Yeah, Rin could follow orders perfectly this time. People like this guy were what Tartarus was made for. Souls so terrible that they were damned eternally to the core of Gehenna, literally the deepest pit of Hell.

"You're gonna get premature wrinkles if you keep frowning that hard. What's wrong?" Suguro asked him from across the couch. They'd been eating dinner in his apartment when Rin had gotten the message.

"My body stopped aging at twenty. And I was just given one of the special missions." He answered, handing the phone to the man.

"Ohh, it's one of the clean up jobs. Well, at least you get to go to Brazil." Suguro pointed out. Rin shrugged a shoulder. He wasn't going there for luxury. He wouldn't stall for it either. Nothing was fun when you were on your own.

"Oh! Guess _we're_ going to Brazil." Suguro grinned at Rin, looking up from his own phone. Rin perked up, not caring how obvious it was. "You serious? They put us on the same mission? Who else?" He asked excitedly, taking his phone back from Suguro. "Just us." Suguro said with a knowing grin. Rin threw his arms around the man's neck, laughing happily. Suguro let him and even let a hand settle on Rin's hip.

"I know I'm great, but is there another reason you're so excited for this?" Suguro wondered curiously. "Ah, well. I never really have any reason to stall for my own enjoyment when I get sent on missions overseas. Never had a reason to." He answered, averting his eyes. "But, with you....I think it'd be fun to stall a bit. Just tell them we took an extra day because the crowds were thick and he knew how to blend in. Have some fun for ourselves before we have to come back here and go back to regular life." He'd backed away, scratching at the back of his head nervously, still not meeting Suguro's eyes.

Suguro was grinning fondly. He reached out and took the hand, holding it in his own. His hand dwarfed Rin's smaller, slimmer one. Rin's hand was pale and perfect, no scars, no marks. Suguro's was tan, had freckles from working out in the sun often, and scars from years of fighting demons. He wondered how many scars Rin would have if his body didn't heal them. If Rin had never been reborn the first time when he'd first pulled Kurikara, how many scars would have been added to the dozens already on his body from a whole childhood of fighting.

He wondered if it felt dehumanizing to Rin to not have anything to prove he went through as much trouble and pain as he did daily. It had to drive him crazy to have no proof of fighting for the things he cared about. No proof that he'd ever been hurt. It made him seem invincible, but Suguro had realized the thing about that early on: Just because the injuries healed quickly and left no trace behind, didn't mean that it hadn't hurt.

"What are you doing?" Rin asked. "I'm the one with all the scars from fighting demons these past seven years, but you've been fighting way longer than me and all your scars are gone." Suguro noted. Rin shrugged. "I got used to it. It probably seems selfish to wish scars would stay. Scars are proof of what you've done, good or bad. I....I have no proof except for the fact that I can take down anyone and anything except Satan himself. And scars from him are the only scars that stay on my body, ironically." Rin sighed, settling into Suguro's side comfortably.

"Do you remember all your scars? Where they should be?" The bigger man questioned. "Yeah. I remember all of them. Even the ones I had from fighting as a kid." He admitted. "Cool. On our way to Brazil, you can tell me about all of them." Suguro hummed. "I like listening to you, though. Your voice is nice." Rin told him with a pout. Suguro let out a laugh. "I like listening to your stories. They're entertaining." He argued. Rin sighed, but gave in anyway.

§~•~§~•~§

On the plane they took(Rin didn't have a key to the Brazil Branch office yet. There were over a hundred Branch Offices, so it took a while for Mephisto to make all those keys for several Exorcists. If Rin had to go anywhere he didn't have a key for, Mephisto would have to arrange transportation for him to go. Because Rin wasn't terrible about being stronger and totally able to take down Mephisto, the Time Lord gave him decent transportation. This time was a private plane.

"Hey Rin." Suguro called for his best friend's attention. Rin looked over with a raised eyebrow and then rolled his eyes when he saw the wine bottle in Suguro's hand and the smirk on the man's face. "Grab the other one too." He relented.

"What's the difference?" Suguro wondered, sitting back down next to the smaller man. "One is for humans and one is for demons. Demonic alcohol is much stronger than human alcohol. We can take a lot more." Rin explained, taking the second wine bottle and opening it. He took a swig and sighed contentedly.

"Haven't had drinks in a long time." He shook his head in disdain and took another drink. "Didn't you get drunk off of one can of Chuhai back in first year?" Suguro remembered. "Yeah, back when my body was still at least half human and the other half was severely underdeveloped. I've been reborn twice since then. You were there for the first time. The second time was on Halloween about four years ago. Not a fun time." Rin told him.

"Huh. So can humans drink that?" Suguro wondered curiously. Rin held the bottle away from the man. "You really shouldn't. Although, your body is probably able to take more than others both because you're a sturdy-ass human and because you've merged with Karura enough over the years to no longer be completely human." Rin mused. The demon wine didn't seem to be having any effect on him yet.

"Is that a yes?" The bigger man smiled charmingly at the Nephilim. Rin narrowed his eyes. He seemed hesitant to answer. "Technically, yes. But even you can only have a little bit. Too much and you'll die from alcohol poisoning in three seconds flat." He answered grudgingly, handing over the bottle. "Hey, I've always been the responsible one, I know how to handle myself." Suguro reminded him, taking a swig of the demon wine.

Rin watched him carefully. Suguro sat there, blinked a few times, then looked down at the bottle before handing it back to Rin. "Yeah. How drunk are you?" Rin grinned. "I....have no idea. But I also feel like I don't really need this bottle anymore." He said, looking at the human wine. Rin laughed and leaned against the man for balance so he wouldn't fall out of his seat.

"It'll fuck you up pretty good. Demons can drink this stuff and not get drunk until they're halfway through a second bottle. Humans can take three drinks at most before dying. And that's regular humans." Rin explained. "I feel like I skipped buzzed and just went to really tipsy. Like, on the edge of being drunk, but not." Suguro described. Rin snickered. "Yeah, that's probably as far as we should go before a mission. It'd be better if we fooled around after we completed it. No target escaping to worry about if we get him first, then go slack off." Rin told him. Suguro nodded.

"Good thinking. Now, tell me all the stories behind your scars." He insisted and Rin sighed. "Fine."

He began with the first scar he ever got–he was five and some bigger kids were picking in his little brother. He'd run in to fight them off. His tender little child knuckles had split open and scarred over.

The first layer of scarring of many to come on those knuckles.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had bad luck with Slow Burn Romances in the past, but I'll try again. If I can go three or more chapters without having the main pairing making out yet, I'll consider it a win. Wish me luck and I hope you'll like this story.


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